The Impossible Tales
by Anakin T Skywalker
Summary: A bunch of short stories written in response to a challenge on another site. Each story throws a little twist into a section of the movie that makes the rest of the movies impossible. Warning: This will often involve MC death! Not in order.
1. Too Late

Disclaimer: Star Wars isn't mine, but it's my favorite toy

**Disclaimer: **Star Wars isn't mine, but it's my favorite toy!

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**Too Late**

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The speeder rocked in the air as Anakin jerked it to a stop. Obi-Wan shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair with an exasperated sigh.

"You've lost him. Anakin, that was some shortcut. He went completely the other direction!"

His Padawan refused to look at him. "I'm deeply sorry, Master," he said, cramming a truly astonishing amount of sarcasm into those few words.

Obi-Wan squeezed his eyes shut and breathed a quick prayer for patience into the Force. "Anakin – "

"If you'll excuse me," interrupted the brash young man. Obi-Wan watched in mild surprise and extreme annoyance as his student suddenly leapt over the side of the speeder. He peered over the edge, tracking Anakin's descent with some concern. He wasn't too worried; Anakin had survived all four of his previous attempts at this trick, and the last two times, he hadn't even broken anything. Obi-Wan supposed he really should be expecting this stunt by now.

It remained, however, extremely foolhardy; not at all the sort of thing one would want to be expecting from one's Padawan. Obi-Wan couldn't suppress another sigh when he considered what Mace and Yoda would say – again.

"I hate it when he does that," he said to himself.

He began to wonder exactly why Anakin had jumped out of the speeder, anyway. Surely he had some purpose for the reckless act; perhaps he had spotted the assassin's speeder and was attempting to damage the vehicle, forcing its driver to stop.

He watched in increasing alarm as Anakin continued to fall. Then the wave of terror hit him: whatever Anakin's original intent was, it had gone wrong. He groped for the controls of the speeder to gun the engine –

Too slow. Another zooming vehicle far below slammed hard into Anakin, jerking his neck and limbs at unhealthy angles.

"No!" Obi-Wan screamed. A horrible feeling of déjà vu flashed over him as he remembered that awful moment when one end of the Zabrak Sith's double-bladed lightsaber stabbed cleanly through his Master's chest.

He pulled the speeder into a dive that rivaled his former Padawan's, even though the Force announced to him like a thundershock that he was, once again, too late.


	2. Saved By The ?

Disclaimer: Don't own Star Wars

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Star Wars!

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**Saved By the… ?**

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A tornado of emotions ripped through Anakin's mind – fear, love, guilt, anger, sorrow, and confusion.

Yet they were all subservient to the overwhelming knowledge that he was about to be too late.

Again.

He put on a new burst of speed and ran for Padmé's life.

He burst into the room just in time to see the two occupants silhouetted against the shattered window. One cowered back against the empty frame; the other towered over him, a beam of violet light extending from his hand.

"You see, Anakin? Didn't I warn you? The Jedi are taking over!" quavered the figure on the ground, his voice high with fear.

He did see.

He saw what Palpatine wanted him to see – Jedi Master Windu brandishing his lightsaber at the helpless, weak, weaponless Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic.

But it was only an illusion, and he knew it.

He had also seen the remains of three more Jedi Masters in the other room. No, Palpatine was not powerless.

"It's over!" thundered Mace Windu, pointing his amethyst blade at Palpatine. "You have lost!"

The beaten Sith Lord snarled. "No! No, _you_ will die!"

Forks of blue lightning like the writhing, flickering tongues of many snakes ripped through the air from Palpatine's fingers and crashed against Mace's lightsaber, raised only just in time to block the deadly assault. The Sith flung all of his hate at Mace Windu –

And Mace Windu flung it right back. Already, Anakin could see the effects of it beginning to take its toll on Palpatine's once-kindly features.

He averted his eyes.

If only it would all just stop for a moment, so he could figure this out! If only he had some time to untangle the jumbled mess of thoughts and feelings and logic and truth and lies that cluttered the inside of his head!

But the conflict only grew more intense.

"Help me, Anakin!" wailed Palpatine. "Destroy this traitor! Don't let him kill me!"

It was not a complete sham; Palpatine was indeed weakening.

But not as fast as Master Windu.

And yet, Anakin stood, unable to move, as though he were simply another one of Palpatine's many statues.

He wished he were; statues didn't have to make decisions like this.

He dared another glance at the two enemies; over the tumult of emotions in his soul, he managed to become aware that Palpatine's attacks of lightning actually were tapering off. The electricity quickly faded away, and Palpatine was left, looking frail and pathetic under the weary but stern and determined gaze of the Jedi Master.

"I – I can't hold on any longer… I'm too weak… Don't kill me… Please!"

Could it be? Had Palpatine really expended all his energy so quickly?

No. Anakin could feel him in the Force, and he still hummed with hidden dark power. This was an act to gain sympathy.

And Anakin was falling for it.

And he knew it.

But he couldn't _help _it. So he walked slowly forward.

"You Sith _disease_…" Master Windu was saying, drawing back his lightsaber.

"_Wait!_" cried Anakin. "You can't just kill him! He must stand trial!"

The look Mace Windu flashed at him held incredulity as well as determination. "Anakin, he owns the courts and the Senate!"

"He must live!" Anakin insisted. "I need him!"

Mace Windu ignored him and turned back to Palpatine, raising his arm for the killing stroke.

And all the thoughts and emotions and logic and truth and lies whirling around in Anakin's head suddenly twisted and materialized into one idea.

_Padmé._

Faster than thought, his hand went to his lightsaber.

And then something strange happened.

Time slowed down. Or maybe it was his thoughts that sped up.

There was a tickle in the back of his nose –

_Oh, no!_

– And in the one moment he could have acted to save Palpatine's life…

"_Achoo!"_

…the sneeze exploded from him, his head snapping forward, his lightsaber flying from his hand.

When he recovered enough to look up, Mace Windu was standing over Palpatine's body, panting, his lightsaber now held at his side. Anakin stood in shock and pain and disbelief, watching as the purple blade was reclaimed by its handle.

And at that moment, every being in the galaxy felt the dark burden they had not known they were carrying lift from their shoulders.

Most of them would never know they were saved by a sneeze.


	3. FateFall

The harsh wind rushed around him and whipped his black cape out behind him

The harsh wind rushed around him and whipped his black cape out behind him. A slow sneer spread itself across his scarred lips, hidden under the unchanging mask. He was enjoying this moment more than he had enjoyed anything for a very long time.

"Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father."

Anger filled the youth's eyes. "He told me enough! He told me you killed him!"

He smiled even wider, savoring the moment.

"No. _I_ am your father."

The boy's distraught expression was almost comical. If only he could laugh!

"No! That's not true! That's impossible!"

The boy clung to the lie even tighter than he clung to those pipes with his one good hand. Time to set him straight.

"Search your feelings, you know it to be true!"

His son screamed in agony of horror, burying his face in his sleeve.

"No! No!"

Darth Vader really was enjoying this immensely. He relished every wave of pain, grief and anger that rolled from his son in the Force. The power was intoxicating.

Now, for an offer he could not refuse.

"Luke, you can destroy the emperor! He has foreseen this! It is your destiny! Join me, and together we will rule the galaxy as father and son!"

With this, he held out his hand, as though to help Luke back up to safety. But the idiot boy ignored his offer, instead staring at the gaping hole beneath him. Then the innocent blue eyes focused on him again.

He edged out on the catwalk, still offering his hand, in what he imagined to be a fatherly fashion.

"Come with me! It is the only way."

Luke's eyes suddenly widened. Then, slowly, miraculously, his good hand reached out to Vader's. They clasped, the soft flesh hand firmly gripping the hard, black-gloved metal one.

Suddenly Vader felt a tug on his arm and was jerked forward.

Top-heavy, he toppled off the catwalk and went tumbling down through the air with his son.

Together they plunged through Bespin's atmosphere. Together they slid down through the twisting tunnels. It was not until they stopped moving that Luke's betrayal sank into his mind.

"Fool!" he began. "Did you think –"

And then the bottom dropped out from under them, and they slid some more.

The hatch at the end of the tunnel opened, and they plummeted through, like ships whose repulsorlifts suddenly gave out.

Luke was the first to hit the flimsy wire antenna at the bottom. He somehow managed to gain a grip, and for a long moment, it looked like he might be able to save himself.

Then Vader hit it, too, grunting from the impact. With a twang, the antenna broke off, and father and son fell forever.

And the harsh wind rushed up around them.


End file.
